I definitely have a wobble problem - 1999 SR5 260k km
came back from hunting last Oct, hit the highway after 60 mi of bush road (3 1 /2 hrs) and got up to 50 mph and couldn't control it
the entire body started a wave pattern and the oscillation just got worse
slowing down below 50mph was OK
mechanic fixed all the broken front suspension bushings, 1 body mount, gas tank just hanging, new shocks and the wobble was still there
finally changed the tires/rims to my winters and the problem is virtually gone
summers are 2 yr old Michelins with ~5k km on them
I just found this thread and checked with my mechanic
mechanic check the panhard bushings on the hoist - says they were OK
definitely lots of rust
is it worth changing the panhard bushings just to see?
if I slide under, should I be able to tell if the bushings are bad, or do I really need to take it apart
if I have to take it apart I might as well order new bushings and change them

mark

I just crawled under to have a look
the panhard bushings do not look bad - I can't wiggle anything
the trailing arm bushings look bad - bits of rubber sticking out from under the arm, no shoulder on the bushing, quite a gap between arm & the frame holder
I am assuming that the bushings w/shoulder use to fill most of the gap?
I think the arms could move back & forth at least 1/2" (1/4" gap each side)

looks like I'll replace all 6 bushings

any idea why the difference between my summer & winter tires?

the one thing we noticed and why we put the winter tires on was that when we pushed sideways on the rear, we got quite a bit of play which all seemed to be in the tires - with the winters, very little play
is this just because the sidewalls of the summers are softer & allow more play which allows the wobble to start?

mark

found this link
Death Wobble Cures - How To Fix Death Wobble on Jeep, Dodge, and Ford – KevinsOffroad.com / Overland-Ready.com

when I replace the bushings do I need to press the originals out?

mark

Definitely need to press the old bushings out, here's a good video to help you out:
Rear Lower Control Arm Bushing Replacement

There are lots of good videos by mtbtim@, well worth watching before doing any work yourself.

I had the rear end wobble and the biggest single contributor was the rear lower control arm bushings, if you can move these side to side it means the inner metal sleeve has separated from the rubber bushing and they are shot.

I went with completely new arms from Rokeman - a lot beefier arm and they guarantee the bushings for life. Totally fixed my rear end sway problems on the highway.

Gary

i'm trying to keep the cost down
it is 20 yrs old...
here are pics of my bushings

mark

Attached Images

           

I had the same issue, rear end wiggle. I replaced the lower control arms and it took care of it. I could not tell from looking at them on the vehicle but the bushing were completely worn out.

my mechanic is leery of the urethane bushings - squeaking
whiteline supplies grease to alleviate that
I have already sunk $3500 into this & some other problems since the rough road trip in Oct for my 1999
I am definitely looking for the cheapest solution to get rid of the wobble
not sure that replacing the panhard & trailing arm bushings will solve the problem, other bushings may be worn i.e. upper control arm

thoughts?

mark

Toyota replacement prices from mechanic:
lower arm bushings $77x4 (or replacement @$359 ea)
panhard $504
upper arm $282x2

I can get the panhard & lower control arm bushings for CDN$188

I used poly bushings in all my rear axle stuff: upper and lower arms and panhard. No squeaks after 2+ years, all is well.

ordered the 4 arms from rockauto
ordered bushings for the panhard bar
mechanic is getting new bolts
hopefully all this will fix the 'death' wobble

I had the wiggle and ordered new rear lower control arms from rocman
Rear Trailing Arms, Trail-Series - Toyota
$250 and a 5 min job all good now


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i had finally had time to drop it off at my mechanic

death wobble seems to be fixed (upper & lower rear control arms, new bushings in panhard)

mark